Earthquake, tsunami strike Japan's northeast

A one-meter high tsunami has come ashore in Japan's Miyagi prefecture after an earthquake of an estimated 7.3 magnitude occurred under the ocean about 150 miles off Japan's northeast coast.

The earthquake and tsunami have struck the area that was devastated in March 2011. The event appears to have been less destructive than the 2011 earthquake, which caused a 10-meter tsunami and widespread damage and loss of life.

According to NHK World television reports, a powerful earthquake occurred at about 5:18pm local time on Dec 7. and prompted authorities to post a tsunami warning and to advise inhabitants of Miyagi prefecture to move away from the coast and head towards higher ground. The tsunami warning and advisories for Pacific coast regions were subsequently lifted.

Several tsunami waves of up to one-meter height came ashore at Ishinomaki city in the Miyagi prefecture at about 6:00pm local time. The earthquake also shook northeastern and eastern Japan and shook buildings in Tokyo. At the moment damage appears to be limited and there have been no reports of loss of life, although a one-meter tsunami could still be a dangerous event.

There were no reports of any damage at the nuclear power plant at Fukushima Daiichi which had been severely damaged in 2011, NHK World said. However, NTT Docomo, the leading mobile phone operator in Japan has requested that the public do not make unnecessary phone calls or send unnecessary messages.